1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to portable traffic signs, and more particularly to portable traffic signs capable of being adjusted to indicate different directions in which traffic is to be directed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During road construction work and road repair work, it is frequently necessary for construction workers to detour traffic and/or to guide traffic into a particular lane. Frequently, flagmen are employed to direct traffic into a particular path of travel. This approach is sometimes wasteful of human labor and hence unnecessarily expensive. Further, it is completely unsatisfactory for guiding and directing traffic at night after a construction crew leaves the construction site. Frequently, portable signs are utilized. Some such signs include a base, an upright, and a sign having an arrow pointing to the left and having the words "KEEP LEFT" thereon for directing traffic into a travel path located to the left of the sign. Similarly, other signs having an arrow pointing to the right and having the words "KEEP RIGHT" thereon are utilized to direct traffic into a travel path located to the right of the sign. While such signs are capable of functioning perfectly satisfactorily, it is necessary to manufacture, store and transport a large number of both left and right indicating direction signs. Thus, there is presently an unmet need for a single direction indicating sign which is inexpensive and reliable and is capable of directing traffic to the right or left in order to reduce the cost associated with making, storing and transporting both kinds of direction indicating signs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive, reliable, portable traffic sign capable of directing traffic either to the right or left of the sign.
A novelty search directed to the present invention uncovered U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,443,247; 1,174,360; 2,613,463; 2,132,478; 2,624,307; 2,667,000; 3,621,807; 3,917,231; 4,050,401; 4,134,643 and U.S. Pat. No. 29,566. Although the foregoing patents disclose a variety of portable signs, none meet the needs set forth above.
Another approach to directing traffic to the right or the left in road construction areas involves utilization of large electrical devices having flashing lights which are programmed to produce or outline a large flashing arrow pointing to the right or left, depending on the direction in which it is desired to direct traffic. Such devices are large and expensive, and are unsuitable wherein is desirable to have a large number of spaced traffic signs indicating to traffic that it should keep right or keep left.
Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide a portable traffic sign which overcomes the above mentioned shortcomings of the prior art.